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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bank · nail · date · saw · face · file · season · rule

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. date — the fruit
  3. file — a tool
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. rule — government
  7. season — in sport
  8. face — to point toward
  9. season — of the year
  10. bank — for money
  11. rule — a law
  12. face — to confront
  13. file — a line of people
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. file — a document
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. bank — for money
  20. saw — the tool
  21. bank — of a river
  22. face — part of the head
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. date — on the calendar

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com